ready or not
by RookieGinge
Summary: Andy/Sam oneshot. Rated T, for no reason other than over-cautiousness. / You're not ready to surrender the ownership of your heart. But when push comes to shove, you think that Sam already owns your heart and has for a long time.


**Disclaimer: **Nope, Rookie Blue's not mine.

Rated T, because I'm super cautious like that.

**A/N:** More Andy/Sam goodness while I'm busy working on some better plot bunnies that I can't seem to get perfect.

Teeny, tiny spoiler for episode 5, 'Broad Daylight'. But barely.

Hopefully you like!

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It's not a special night. (Not at first.)

You're lying on your couch, wrapped up together in a blanket, watching (kind of) some movie you honestly can't remember the name of that's on TV. You're a little preoccupied with the feel of his soft breath on your cheek, and the delicious weight of his arm resting over your side comfortably to pay attention to the film.

You tune into the TV just as the girl (whose name also escaped you; if you ever knew it in the first place) declares her love for her best friend while standing at the altar – beside her fiancé, who is _not_ the man that's she just confessed her undying love for. You giggle a little at the absurd plot, whispering not-so-quietly to Sam, "This is such a terrible movie."

He chuckles lightly, and you feel the skip of his breathing against your hair. "And you're just realizing that?" You can practically hear the amused smirk in his voice.

"Wasn't really watching it before," you admit quietly, feeling blood rush to your cheeks as a small smile adorns itself on your face.

"What better things did you have to think about?" he asks you seriously, tightening his arms and pulling you ever-so-slightly closer to him.

You roll over – maneuvering carefully so as not to fall off the couch – to face him, before replying honestly and simply, "You."

"Yeah?" he asks quietly, his smile widening.

"Yeah," you reply, just as quietly, with a smile of your own.

His expression changes slightly, the emotions in his eyes flickering slightly. If you weren't so attuned to his everything, you wouldn't have noticed his sudden and unexpected onset of nerves.

He deftly shifts so that you're both sitting, and you scrunch your eyebrows up slightly in genuine confusion. He's digging through his pockets, and if your mind wasn't so clouded you might realize what's going on. As it is, the reality of your situation doesn't properly sink in to your brain until he's moved from the couch (tripping just a bit – and adorably, though he'd protest to the adjective you use to describe it – over the blanket) to kneel on the ground before you.

In his hand is a small, navy blue, velvet box.

"Andy," he starts, and your mouth drops open a pinch as the awareness of what's around you fades, causing you to miss out on his big speech.

The kneeling, and the box, and the look in his eyes as he looks at you … it's all too much. You're overwhelmed, and all the instincts that you had before meeting Sam are threatening to take back over; (and you'd thought you'd been rid of them). They're telling you to run – far, far away – before you get in too deep and get hurt.

_You're already in too deep, though_, a voice inside of your head tells you. _You have been since the almost-kiss all those months ago, even if you didn't know it._

You brush off the voice, trying vainly to ignore the truth of the statement.

You're not ready for this.

This is a level of commitment that you've never seriously considered giving anyone, ever. 'Marriage' was devalued in your opinion 15 years ago. You've seen your parents' 'true love' fall apart all too easily; seen what it can do to a person. And you're nowhere near ready to give _anyone_ that kind of infinite power over you.

You're not ready to surrender the ownership of your heart.

But Sam's face looks honest and true as his lips continue to move in earnest; and it makes you want to close your eyes and block out the sight of him.

Because right now, looking into his eyes, you can see things; things you've never, ever spared a thought for … before now.

You can see yourself standing in front a mirror, wearing a white dress with an elegant veil and holding a bouquet of orange calla lilies. You can see him, handsomer than ever in a tux, standing at the end of an aisle. You can see yourself looking down at a beautiful baby girl with your nose and his lips. You can see yourself staying up nights (many nights), with him by your side, walking and walking and _walking_ with a crying little girl in your arms, then watching him chase away the monsters under her bed, and watching sadly beside him as she runs to her teacher on her first day of school. Can see her smiling up at you, innocently, with the dark brown eyes of his that you love so much.

You can see yourself growing old; with him by your side.

He takes a deep breath and opens the small ring case before saying, "So what I'm trying to say here is … Andy McNally, will you marry me?"

The diamond's beautiful, as is the band; it's sleek and elegant – and perfect for you, actually – and you can picture it residing on your left hand. You clear your head of the image with great effort.

You don't answer him right away, and you can see his face change as he gets a little more anxious by the second.

You don't think you're ready for this commitment …

But when push comes to shove, you think that Sam already owns your heart and has for a long time. And you can't imagine yourself with anyone else, ever; he's it for you – 'til death do you part.

You lean forward and press your lips to his, bringing your hands to the back of his head where they fist in his hair. He kisses you back, abandoning the ring for the moment and bringing one hand to the back of your neck and the other to your cheek.

He's the first to pull back when oxygen becomes a necessity, and he rests his forehead against yours, breathing heavily as he says, "So, is that a yes?"

A smile breaks out across your face as you peck his lips once more before replying giddily, "Yes, that's a yes."

He stands up, taking you with him, and spins around before kissing you again, passionately.

When he sets you back down, keeping you wrapped up in his arms, you look deep into his eyes, once again envisioning a little girl with identical ones.

And when he gently and lovingly slides the ring onto your finger, you can't imagine ever wanting a future besides the one with him in it.

And that … _that_, you're ready for.

-0-0-

Review, pretty pretty please!


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